June 24, 2008

Big Timber Creek; Montana (V - V+)

The following pictures are in order as you walk up the canyon. They are in reverse order of the actual run.

Big Timber Falls - this is the lower drop - there is a 60 ft. lead-in fallsthat is unrunnable at all but lowest flows. The entrance move for thelower falls is a 15 ft. waterfall that lands in a left banking slide against the wall (just to the river right of the island in the picture). This slide then launches you off the 30-35 ft. main drop.

Drop under the first walking bridge Very nice, forgiving falls - two drops below The Pinch Drop immediately following The PinchCrappy picture of The Pinch - this thing is nuts; i can't imagine running it at the flows we had(estimate 400 cfs or so) Slide drop leading into portage - I think the next drop is called No Way Out (aka portage) Fine LineDrop above the second walking bridge O's Woes No Worries Falls - the put in drop

7 comments:

Big Timber Creek is an incredible gem tucked in the Crazy Mountains of Montana. Nestled within the lower Yellowstone River watershed, this creek tops all readily accessible low volume creek runs in Montana in terms of the quality of the whitewater. It's an amazing place to go whether you're planning on boating or not, but if you choose to kayak this creek, you will be rewarded with a world class experience.

The hike up from Half Moon Campground is absolutely beautiful, though it is hard to ignore the 720 feet per mile that you have to hike UP in order to run down. The gradient pretty much says it all - this run consists of unbelievable slides, boulder gardens, and waterfalls that will challenge and excite even the most experienced boaters.

You really have to see Big Timber to believe it - it's just hard to imagine such consistently clean, quality drops in the state of Montana. If you are up to it, this is arguably the best creek run in the state.

Big Timber logistics: Class V - V+ To get there, take I-90 to the Big Timber exit, and go north on the main road out of town. Follow the signs for Big Timber Canyon and Half Moon Campground - this is where you start hiking. There are obviously lots of alternate put-in points as you hike past the entire run on your way up. Scout thoroughly as wood is definitely a big issue. Watch out for The Pinch and The Gambler on the lower stretch - these are serious slides that require competent safety (both are easy to portage, as is pretty much everything else). I recommend hiking past the second walking bridge and running the last few drops upstream - No Worries Falls and O's Woes are two of the nicest drops on the run. The first walking bridge is a good takeout, although the drop under the bridge and around the corner is definitely worth doing. Be sure to take out immediately below this drop as the creek then plummets into the canyon and goes over Big Timber Falls. The upper part of this falls would be fatal at high flows, and the lower part is for experts only. This is hands-down the most beautiful drop I have ever seen, and I hope to run it someday.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. No worries on the apparent attitude. The World Class Kayak Academy produces some of the world's best paddlers and these young guns just have the ability and the cajones to run drops at levels us mere mortals would never even consider possible (though the bro-brah lingo leaves a bit to be desired for sure). So i probably should add an addendum to the Pinch caption above - it should read "it was close to unrunnable by mere mortals at the flows we ran."

EG, thanks for the link to your blog. You've got some incredible footage on there and i hope to visit many of the places you've posted on. And an extended congrats to your bro for firing up Natural Bridge Falls a couple weeks ago - unbelievable!

Thanks for checking out the site, Dan, and my pleasure on sharing the beta. There is only a small taste of Montana creeking on this site, but hopefully that will change. The season for Big T is usually late June through early-to-mid July. You have to wait until peak runoff is over as it gets crazy on Big T at highest flows (people do it, but most are either professional kayakers or locals who could do the run blindfolded). There is no gauge - by sight only. I bet it's just about go-time right now for the 2010 Big T season. Whether it's running or not, the hike up the canyon out of Half Moon Campground is well worth it. Hopefully you can check it out!

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An informational site about Montana area rivers and whitewater recreational opportunities. Our blog space contains information about various area rivers and experiences we've had exploring Montana and surrounding area whitewater. The links to the left lead to blogs on some of our favorite area rivers and we'll be adding more throughout the seasons (click on the river names in green to access descriptions of the runs). We hope you'll explore our site and let us know what you think by leaving comments. If you don't find the river or creek you are looking for, keep scrolling down or check the blog archive below on the right hand side. Most of all, have fun out there and remember, safety first! For more detailed information about Montana area rivers, check out www.americanwhitewater.org, and consider joining this great organization dedicated to the protection of America's whitewater resources. The Montana Surf guidebook is another great resource for Montana area paddling as well.